Varieties of Tea

While all teas are derived from the same plant, the Camellia Sinensis, a shrub that yields two varieties of the tea plant: sinensis and assamica, slight differences in processing methods result in the tea varieties. Herbal teas, like peppermint or chamomile come from different plants, not the tea plant and thus, contain no real tea properties. Teas are grown primarily in China, India, Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon) and Japan. Teas are highly dependent on the place they are grown because tea plants grow by absorbing the nutrients and energy from the soil of the terrain. Tea connoisseurs often refer to the energy as "chi" and spirit of the place, which produce good tea. Today, there are more than 3000 varieties of tea, each having its own distinct character and named for the district or region in which it is grown. However, over 95% of those 3000 varieties fall under one of the following three major categories of tea: Green Tea (unoxidized, unfermented), Oolong Tea (partially oxidized, fermented) and Black Tea (fully oxidized). Besides the processing method, an important characteristic that determines the quality of tea is whether the tea is wild (grows naturally without cultivation), cultivated or organically cultivated.

Cultivated teas are fertilized with chemicals and exposed to pesticides, while organically cultivated tea plants are free from pesticides and herbicides. Although every aspect of the organic cultivation is inspected for authenticity and certified by an independent agency, organically cultivated teas are still inferior to wild teas. Franchia's Wild Green Tea is 100% natural green tea, which is ostensibly free from pesticides and herbicides and left virtually untouched, until it is ready to be picked by hand.